CubingUSA Mid-Atlantic Championship 2024

A total of 284 competitors gathered across 29 rounds of action as the CubingUSA Mid-Atlantic Championship 2024 took over the Henrico Sports and Events Center. Held in Richmond, Virginia, USA, from October 12 to October 14, 2024, the major regional fixture brought together solvers tackling 12 different disciplines. While speed cubing events typically turn on split-second execution and rapid-fire turns, the broad program provided a complete test of mechanical mastery and structural understanding across various puzzle shapes.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube contest drew a massive field of 280 entrants across four challenging rounds. Shaun Mack emerged on top of the classic Rubik's Cube division, posting a winning average of 6.46 seconds alongside a tournament-best single of 5.29. Jerry Yao took second place on the podium with a 6.88 average, while Christopher Sun secured third place with a 7.05 mark. Mack continued his fine form in 3x3x3 One-Handed, claiming victory with an 11.33 average ahead of Yao, who registered 11.85, and Andreas Lambropoulos, who finished third with 11.96.

Big cube events belonged entirely to Jerry Yao, who swept the three largest NxN puzzles on the schedule. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Yao took first place with a 46.39 average, holding off Christopher Sun at 47.12 and Ari Randers-Pehrson at 49.62. Yao extended his dominance into the 6x6x6 Cube, winning with an average of 1:31.32 against Randers-Pehrson at 1:37.00 and Evan Liu at 1:42.88. In the 7x7x7 Cube final, Yao completed the sweep with a 2:31.60 average, ahead of Sun at 2:34.13 and Randers-Pehrson at 2:37.76.

Ari Randers-Pehrson captured the top spot in the 4x4x4 Cube, compiling a winning average of 23.92 seconds after delivering a best single of 21.93. Christopher Sun earned the runner-up spot with a 25.57 average, while Jerry Yao completed the podium at 26.27. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Zayn Khanani took first place with a 1.26 average, besting Michael Nielsen at 1.50 and Ayden Dincher at 1.59. Khanani also led the Skewb event, taking gold with a 2.05 average over three rounds.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors made substantial strides in their personal development. Luke Stevenson took on all 12 events on the schedule, achieving a 62nd-place finish in 7x7x7 Cube while posting a first ever attempt in Megaminx of 1:53.62. Stevenson also improved his Square-1 personal best by 81.5 percent to 19.32 seconds and lowered his Skewb best by 40.8 percent down to 4.75. Colby Joson tackled 10 events, logging a 71st-place finish in 5x5x5 Cube with a first attempt of 1:45.11, alongside maiden official marks of 16.43 in Clock and 7.46 in Skewb.

Other athletes embraced brand new disciplines throughout the busy weekend schedule. Alex Linsangan entered nine events, posting a 70th-place finish in 5x5x5 Cube with a first attempt of 1:51.62, along with debut efforts of 5.67 in Skewb and 1:25.18 in Megaminx. Daniyal Weitzman competed in all 12 events, securing 65th place in 7x7x7 Cube while logging initial career marks of 2:24.64 in Megaminx, 5:13.04 in 6x6x6 Cube, and 2:03.59 in 5x5x5 Cube. Muhammad Avazkhonov also entered 12 events, recording his first attempts in Square-1 at 1:30.62, Megaminx at 4:50.40, and 5x5x5 Cube at 3:54.07.

The broadening of event repertoires remained a highlight across the floor. Joshua Liu entered nine disciplines, reaching 21st place in Pyraminx while logging first attempts of 17.22 in Clock, 2:01.19 in Megaminx, and 2:33.51 in 5x5x5 Cube. Sean Zang competed in 10 events, finishing 74th in 5x5x5 Cube and registering initial attempts in Square-1 at 54.16, Clock at 16.69, and Megaminx at 2:43.05. Kazimir Justin Falkowski logged debut marks in 4x4x4 Cube at 1:10.83, 3x3x3 One-Handed at 35.76, and 5x5x5 Cube at 3:04.16 across eight events.

The remaining puzzle categories delivered sharp contests across each round. Michael Nielsen claimed the Pyraminx title with a 1.72 average, Evan Waters won Clock in 4.17 ahead of Carter Williams at 4.28 and Evan Liu at 4.92, Chris Chi secured Square-1 with an 8.11 average, and Declan Wilhelm earned the Megaminx win averaging 38.96. Concluding three intense days of speedcubing at the Henrico Sports and Events Center, the CubingUSA Mid-Atlantic Championship 2024 showcased the depth of competitive talent across North American speedcubing.

The overall 3x3 results and podium totals reflected an exceptional weekend of racing at this major WCA competition. With all 36 podium positions earned by United States competitors, the regional championship highlighted both established champions and emerging talents navigating multi-round tournaments. As this cubing competition came to a close in Richmond, the focus shifts forward to another demanding season of speedsolving challenges across the competitive calendar.